Initiative Instruments in Germany: Variations in Regional States

Abstract

In Germany, initiative instruments do not exist at the national level. Direct democracy has only been instituted in the form of a mandatory referendum on modifications of territories or mergers between regional states. Therefore, this chapter will only deal with initiative instruments at the level of regional states — the Laender — where they exist throughout the country. At the municipal level these measures are also available but they will not be discussed here. Beginning after 1945 in rather restricted forms, since 1990 a full-scale citizens’ initiative has been provided in all 16 regional states of Germany, and also an agenda initiative in 12 states. These two institutions are linked in different ways and regulated in many variations which are likely to lead to varying practices. Developments in the party system have increased the openness for institutions of direct democracy and made some steps of reforming regulations possible. Discussions have also begun to introduce direct democracy at the federal level, but it may need one or two decades for this to be achieved.